Quick-disconnect connector



Dec. 9, 1958 N. D. BINGHAM ET AL 2,364,069

QUICK-DISCONNECT CONNECTOR Filed Jan/27, 1956 IN VEN TORS.

M17 D. Bing/36nd Y Rene dBedzzreg'azd ATZURNEX United States PatentOfiiice 2,864,069 Patented Dec. .9, 19518 2,864,069 QUiCK-DISCONNECTCONNECTOR I NeillDaBingham,Inglewood, and Rene J. Beauregard, LosAngeles, Calif., assignors to Radio Corporation of America, acorporation of Delaware A 'iplicafioursnnar 27,1956, Serial No. 561,8353 class; (Cl. 339-75 might plug in to the other units to comprise thecomplete equipment! An pbj ect of admitted is to provide an improved,

connector for electrically and mechanically joining a pair or electr'5.11, units.

A'np'flie objectofthis invention is to provide a novel electricalc'onneetori wherein theelectrical contact elements are protected"against accidental damage when the connectonparts are separated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel electficalconnector whichincorporates a rigidmechanical. col lpling and whereinthe connector elements are capable of being readily coupled anduncoupled.v

lii a ccordancejwith the present invention, a connector eomprises twoportions, ,each ofwhich may be fixed to an individual unit or chassis,and each including a housmg. One housingenclose'sconductive'plug'elerrients. and the other housing encloses conductivesocket elements. One housingis dimensioned to be received telescopicallywithin the other. ..The.outer housing includes a clamp, a portion ofwhich is integral with this housing. The clamp is readily clamped oyerthe inner housing by means f. qglebolt Or screw vvhenthe connector,portions arefhass'enibledl The clamp holds theplug and socket element'sinengagement witheach other and provides a rigid mechanical couplingbetween the connector portions.

The novel features of the invention, as well as additional objects andadvantages thereof, will be understood more fully from the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure l is a view in plan of a connector assembly in accordance withthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, taken along theline 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2looking in the direction of the appended arrows; and

Figure 4 is a view in plan of a pair of connectors in accordance withthe present invention used for connecting two units of electricalequipment.

Referring now in more detail to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanyingdrawing, an illustrative embodiment.

of a connector in accordance with the present invention is illustratedand described. The connector is comprised of two portions. A firstconnector portion 11 comprises a housing 13 in the form of a cylindricala;

structure 15 by means of which the housing is attached to electricalequipment or to a cable. Enclosed .within the housing 13 andsubstantially flush with the open.

face of the housing is' a socket member 17 having con-1,-

ductive socket elements 19. Thesesocket elements extend inwardly fromthe face of the socket'member and are disposed in any desiredarrangement. A second connector portion 21 comprises a housing in theform of a cylindrical sleeve and a structure 25 for.

attaching the housing to electrical equipment or. to a member of such orsimilar equipment. ,The housing23 includes a flange 24 which'may be used.for mounting,

the housing in some applications. The housing 23;

encloses .a plug member 27 having conductiveplug ele? ments or pins 29extending outwardly from its face. Means are provided within each ,ofthe connector..por-,-.

tions for connecting conductors to the plug and socketelements.

v The inner diameter of the sleeve housing 23 slightly;

largerthan the outer diameter of the sleeve housing 13 so that thehousing 13 is received snugly, yet .readily,

within the housing 23 when the connector .portions are assembled. Theplug member 27 is set back. from the; open end of the housing 23,topermit the housing 13 to be, received within the sleeve housing 23, Thisprovides, the'advantage that the pins 29 do n'otextend beyond the open:face of the housing 23, and therefore are protected againstunintentional damage when the connector portions are .in a separatedcondition. t .7

In order to provide a means forrigidly connecting the, two connectorportions, a formfof clamp 31 is provided which is an extension of thehousing 23. A portion of this clamp 31 is formed by anaxial' extension33 of, the housing 23. This extension 33 includes substantially 1 onehalf of. the circumference of'the housing 23. The

endjof the arcuate member 35 is joined inh'inged'oli, pivotedrelationship with one e'nd of' the] extension. 331;; The hingedconnection is illustrated, in Figure 3;: to, be,

in the fornj of a scarf joint whereineach of the members forming theclam'pis providedwi thi ai tab or. heersqjl, These tabs or hooks areinterlocked to form a pivotal joint.

The ends of the members 33 and 35 forming the clamp, which are remotefrom the hinged ends, are each provided with a flange 39. These flanges39 are provided with bores 'which are aligned perpendicular to the axisof the housing 23 and are substantially tangential to the housing 23.The bore in one of the members is smaller and is tapped to receive thethreaded portion of a screw 41. The ends of the clamp members 33 and 35,having the flanges 39, are separated slightly so that the clamp may bedrawn together by the screw 41 to a circumference which is less than theinner circumference of the housing 23. The housings 13 and 23 aredimensioned to slide together easily, and yet the clamp 31 is readilytightened to positively lock the housings together.

The above described'clamp will be held together when the housing 23 isseparated from the housing 13 by means of the screw 41 and through theresiliency of the arcuate member 35 which will prevent the hinged jointfrom becoming separated.

An additional means for supporting the clamp is pro vided. This meansincludes an annular groove 28,

half of the clamp. 31 is formed from" provided in the plug'member 27, incooperation with inwardly extending annular ribs 34 and 36 provided onthe clamp portions'33 and 35. respectively. This means permits the clampto be readily opened and closed and maintains the movable clamp portion35 in alignment with the housing 23.

'With the above described arrangement the clamp 31 is substantially anintegral part of the housing 23. The connector portions are engaged anddisengaged readily by relative movement in an axial direction. The rigidmechanical coupling between the connector portions is very readily madeor broken merely by turning the screw 41 with a screw driver, forexample. The connector itself may be difiicult to reach, yet theconnection may be easily made and broken if the head of screw 41 can bereached by a suitable tool.

In order to provide for the proper orientation of one of th e connectorportions with respect to the other, so that the pins 29 will be insertedin the proper sockets 19, the housing 23 is provided with a tab 43(Figure 3) which extends inwardly from its inner surface. The housing 13is provided with a groove 45 at its outer surface which extends from itsface in a direction parallel to the axis of the housing. This groove 45is dimensioned to receive the tab 43 and permits the connector portionsto be assembled together only in one relative rotational position.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing, a pair ofconnectors is shown providing the means for electrically andmechanically connecting two equipment units and 20. In this embodimentonly one pin and socket element are illustrated for each connector. Whenused in this manner, it is not necessary to provide means, such as thetab 43 and the groove 45, for properly orientating connector portionsrelative to each other, since the relative positions of the units willlikely be obvious. In an assembly such as is illustrated in Figure 4,the electrical and mechanical connection between the two electricalunits may be easily and readily made even though the connector assemblyitself may be difiicult to reach. The units are assembled by moving themovable unit toward the fixed unit in a direction axially of theconnector portions. The only requirement for making the mechanicalconnection then is that the heads of the bolts 41 can be reached by asuitable tool. By means of this arrangement the inserted unit is rigidlyconnected to the remainder of the electrical equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising a pair of sleeves dimensioned fortelescopic engagement, a member fixed in one of said sleeves having atleast one conductive plug extending therefrom in a direction parallel tothe axis of said one sleeve, a member fixed in the other of said sleeveshaving a conductive socket in register with said plug, the larger ofsaid sleeves having a longitudinal extension comprising substantiallyone half of the circumference of said sleeve, an arcuate member, meansfor interlocking one end of said arcuate member with one edge of saidextension to form a hinged clamp, means associated with the ends of saidextension and said arcuate member opposite from said interlocking meansfor adjustably maintaining said ends in substantial abuttingrelationship, the smaller of said sleeves having an annular groove inits external surface adjacent to the end thereof, and said hinged clamphaving means on its internal surfaces defining an annular rib adapted tobe received in said annular groove.

2. A connector coupling comprising a first portion having a circularcross section at one end, a conductive socket mounted in said firstportion, a second portion including a circular sleeve at one end, aconductive plug mounted within said sleeve, means defining a ring clampassociated with said sleeve, said means including an axial extension ofsubstantially one half the circumferential wall of said sleeve, anarcuate member, means pivotally connecting said arcuate member to saidextension along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve,means for adjustably connecting said extension and said arcuate memberat a point diametrically opposite from said pivot means to form asubstantially complete extension of said sleeve, said first portion ofsaid coupling having an annular groove adjacent to said one end thereof,and said ring clamp extension of said sleeve having means on theinternal surfaces thereof defining an annular rib adapted to seat insaid annular groove.

3. A connector coupling comprising a first portion having a circularcross section at one end, a plurality of conductive socket elementsmounted in said first portion at said circular end, a second portionincluding a circular sleeve at one end, a plurality of conductive plugelements mounted in said sleeve, means defining a ring clamp extensionof said sleeve, said means including an axial extension of one half thecircumference of said sleeve and an arcuate member, said axial extensionand said arcuate member being pivotally connected along a line parallelto the longitudinal axis of said sleeve, means adjustably connectingsaid extension and said arcuate member at a point opposite from saidpivotal connection, said second portion having an inwardly extendingtab, and said first portion having a longitudinal groove on its outerwall for cooperation with said tab to orient said first and secondportions rotationally with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,103,773 Flath Dec. 28, 1937 2,698,926 Young Jan. 4, 1955 2,729,802Jordan Jan. 3, 1956

